Pointing fingers at law-abiding citizens is a smokescreen

EFFORTS by the anti-gun brigade – driven by Gun Free South Africa and Police Minister Bheki Cele, who is on a personal crusade to disarm lawabiding honest firearm owners who play no role whatsoever in crime, robberies and gang shootings – should be dismissed with contempt.

Efforts by those driving the campaign to disarm the public by restricting self-protection as a reason for owning a gun by honest law-abiding citizens are absurd and ridiculous and factually without foundation as 90% of guns used in gang shootings, robberies and gun violence are stolen from state institutions.

According to criminologist Mark Shaw, the number could be as high as 9 000 state guns stolen, misappropriated or sold into gangs during the past three years.

Pointing fingers at law-abiding gun owners as being behind the surge in gun violence is but a smokescreen to divert attention away from the real problem which is twofold: first, guns stolen from the state, which includes police corruption, remains the main supply chain of firearms onto the streets and second, the state’s inability to protect citizens.

The Constitution guarantees citizens the right to protect themselves, their property and families.

How do they do this without a firearm?

The question that should be asked is why a law-abiding citizen would purchase a firearm other than for self-protection in one’s home or on one’s farm

It is preposterous for the authorities to suggest that every application for a firearm licence should be accompanied by a registration certificate confirming membership of a gun club and that this would somehow qualify them for a gun licence.

This is stuff from cuckoo land. There is nothing wrong with the existing firearm control laws .

COLIN BOSMAN | Newlands